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Monday, June 16, 2014

Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway for Once More With Feeling by Megan Crane

I know this book isn't the usual young adult or new adult book I review on here. I've read all of Megan's chicklit/N.A./women's fiction titles and have them in paperback. When I saw this book of hers was going on tour, I jumped at the chance to join it. This book blew my mind. I've got a book hangover and my chest still hurts when I think about this book. You'll find out more in my review below. Oh and there's a gift card giveaway. Don't forget to comment and enter.

I made the words my
mantra. A daily chant, an
affirmation—and the best

part was that it was true.
It could, in fact, always be worse.
Pestilence. Famine.

Disease. Death.

Any of those were
much worse, obviously, than my own puny little grief.

There were so many
people who got divorced. Many of them
had no idea

that their marriages were even in trouble until it was all
over, just like me. I

wasn’t the only one, the only fool. I couldn’t be. Just like I couldn’t possibly be

the only one with the great misfortune to come home
unexpectedly and find her

spouse in bed with someone else.

It could be
worse. Couldn’t it?

REVIEW:★★★★★ stars

I'm very familiar with Megan Crane's books. She hasn't written a book yet that hasn't found its way into my heart. I thought this book might be the exception and I've never been more afraid to read a book. Saying I'm not a fan of cheating is an understatement. I didn't think I was going to be able to read the book let alone like it after I read the first chapter.

I get really involved when I read. I had this dull ache in my chest for most of this book. You might be wondering how I can give 5 stars to a book that had me in physical pain? The fact that I was able to forget to take notes and read cover to cover in under three hours is one. (The book is 360 pages long.) Secondly I really connected with Sarah. She was blindsided by this betrayal and couldn't understand how it'd happened; her pain was my pain. I admired Sarah for her fortitude in handling everything. I don't think I'd ever be able to recover from a betrayal like the one she did or handle it in such a way. Another point regarding why this book is 5 star worthy is all the feelings I had. I wasn't just hurting. There was anger, confusion, and even hate. The fact I reacted so passionately to this story is enough to give it 5 stars alone.

There's so much I want to tell you about this book. But, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet. So I'm going to bite my tongue and hope if/when you read it, you feel the same things I did. I'd love to know your thoughts. Megan's written some great books. All of them have given me much thinking fodder and entertainment over the years. Once More With Feeling is both devastating and uplifting at the same time, and her streak of books I love continues unblemished. I really hope she writes more fiction, except maybe less full of angst. Of course I'd read her grocery shopping list if she published it.

*This review is based off the e-book I purchased. Of course I also own the paperback which was purchased two years ago when it first came out in Europe.*

AUTHOR BIO:

Megan Crane is a New Jersey native who had great plans to star
on Broadway, preferably in Evita,
just like Patti LuPone. Sadly, her inability to wow audiences with her singing
voice required a back up plan. Accordingly, she graduated from Vassar College
and got her MA and PhD in literature from the University of York in England.
She wrote her doctoral dissertation on AIDS literature, mostly so she could
wallow in her obsession with the remarkable multi-media artist David
Wojnarowicz and her idol, the bitter and hilarious David Feinberg. After many
years in the rain and subject to the whim of seasons, she followed the sun to
Los Angeles, where she lives with a dog, a cat, two crazy kittens, and an
artist named Jeff. She is still plotting her Broadway debut.